If this is being drawn up with the goal of minimizing traffic and long drives to "neighborhood" schools why isn't Moffet Field and the military base going to Slater? That must be a terrible drive in the mornings.

I hope there is a strong consideration for minimizing distances to bike and walk to the neighborhood schools. With that in mind, map M seems a bad choice for Landels and Huff since there are pockets east of Hwy85 where kids would have to cross both that major hwy AND El Camino. Maybe not bad driving, but horrible for biking or walking. Kids need to learn to bike and walk to school early for it to be a habit they continue through their life.

As for the desire for the city's average demographic to be represented in each school, that seems unrealistic since the population is not dispersed that way. There are few opportunities to address that without "busing".

Oh no! Poor minority students might attend our elite schools and destroy our property values! Let's organize so they all stay at Castro Elementary

Good question. Historically, the military families have been desired at Monta Loma because without them the numbers just don't add up enough. Without the military base in the boundary area, there aren't enough students to run a fully functioning school.
Other reasons in no particular order: ML has worked hard to include military families in the school family, they help enrich the culture, etc. As for the drive- it would be a drive to any school, but they seem to carpool a lot from base.

"Data from the 2014-15 school year shows that 544 elementary school-aged students live in the Theuerkauf area, but only 242 attended the school. The PACT choice program at Stevenson Elementary could largely be seen as the culprit, which drew away 109 of those students in the same year."

Ah, the reality the district (and Stevenson parents) don't want to face. If we had no Stevenson, all our kids would get to attend great neighborhood schools.

Question: I know they're mulling over whether or not to grandfather kids in who are already at say, Bubb or Huff. My inclination is that they will- that they won't make a child move schools say, halfway through elementary school, though to really make this work that might be best. Thoughts? My question is: what if someone has a 3rd grader and a kindergartener? Both kids would finish up at Huff/Bubb? Just the eldest? It gets tricky!

Prediction: for the families that are being moved from Bubb/Huff/Landels to Theurkauf/Castro, we'll see a decline in attendance as private school attendance jumps. People purchased homes FOR those schools. Without them they will move or go private. Just my two (somewhat educated) cents. I know if they all went to Th/Castro they could be good but people don't think that way. Or they might try and not like the differences/get burned, and leave. Imo.

The question is- where do the other 100-150 students that attend Theuerkauf come from (additional to the 247 from the neighborhood).

As for the re-zoning for Theuerkauf, the school has a lot of potential. The principal is great, the teachers are great, with an increased number of dedicated parents added to the mix it might become a great school!

@Question and Prediction: I know it is too much to ask but I wish more people not only gave a TH a chance, but also helped the school with their time/energy/money commitments. It might have turned things around.

I agree, and know that other neighborhood schools feel the same way. If wveryone went they'd be great schools. But it just isn't in the cards. Additionally, you're right- those that do go don't all give their time and resources. It's the same 5 people showing up and giving. The frustration is shared, sadly.

Proposals V&M are unfair for the lucky few ELL and Hispanic students that get to go to Bubb. They take those kids out of Bubb and stick them at Castro. Why is it fair to give Castro over 690 kids? Because they bent the rules in favor of Bubb and Huff. Guess what - not everyone in that area wants to go or can go to a choice school. Most of us work multiple jobs and don't have a 'stay at home mom' to get into PACT and we already speak spanish at home, so we don't need / want Mistral. Way to make Bubb and Huff better for the privileged families that live on the 'right side of el camino' and throw more kids at Castro. Has anyone experienced the traffic around Castro in the mornings? It's going to be a nightmare with this many more kids.

I really hope that detailed safety studies are conducted for each of these proposals. For instance, Proposal S has a large part of Shoreline West going to Theuerkauf. It looks great on paper - they can cross Central at the Shoreline overpass. Have any of these people ever tried to cross Central on a bike at that overpass? It's incredibly dangerous. You have to cross right in front of all the cars zooming on and off of central (without a traffic light) on their way to their jobs at Google. A kid on a bike will get hit - and don't say they can use the pedestrian underpass instead - it's narrow and steep and then pedestrians will get hit by a person on a bike. This intersection is only going to get worse if they close Castro at Central, diverting all that traffic down to Shoreline. Has anyone on team S ever tried to bike this way during the morning rush? I encourage you to try it before you recommend that my child do it.

MariaH, it's off topic but Mistral will also teach your kids to read and write in Spanish. Of course maybe you give them Spanish literacy lessons at home, but i know it is incredibly difficult to keep up another language at home (i mean reading and writing).
Besides, Mistral is not worse than Huff if not better...

One critical factor not mentioned in the article or in prior comments is the reason why we could get Slater built at all. The price tag of the original plan to build the elementary schools beyond 450 capacity was prohibitive and some of the school sites simply couldn't support making all the schools the same size. By limiting the elementary schools to 450 (18 classrooms + a 450 MUR + bathroom + playground sized for 450 kids) we could pay for it all and all 9 schools could be built to the standards.

The district wasted years (and millions $) fighting over how the Measure G money would build a bunch of bigger schools, but once the Board accepted (thanks Todd Lee) the fact that making 9 schools of 450 kids capacity each makes the best sense all around, then the process could move forwards to build Slater and the other 8 schools to 450.

Certain schools already have far more rooms than 18, but their other facilities are not appropriate for more than 450 kids. This provides some temporary flexibility for many other purposes for rooms, but does not mean we should over-crowd those schools just because they have classrooms.

The new Stevenson design will also solve the problem of what to do with the preschool that is currently occupying the spot where the new Slater will be built. The preschool will be moved over by Stevenson and the District Office, where there is room and where many portables already exist. Almost all the classrooms at Stevenson are portables with many years life left, so they will be re-purposed for the preschool.

Boundaries will always be tricky, no matter what, in any district with multiple elementary schools and cannot remain static for decades because people move around and populations change over time.

Just look at the changes that took place in the "Wagon Wheel" area of Whisman after it got zoned for Huff for example.

Mountain View has changed drastically over the decades I've known it and will continue to change and thus I have no doubt that boundaries will need to change again within 5-10 years of putting this round of new boundaries in place.

Let's just be happy for the Whisman/Slater area getting their school and the fact our District finally stopped all the pointless and wasteful arguing and finally figured out 9 schools of 450 capacity works to meet budget and total enrollment requirements we know of.

OK?

I wonder what the demographics will be at Slater school.

MariaH's posting is insulting. I worked 70-80 hours a week last year and this year it is regularly over 60 hours a week. Never do I use that as justification for being deserving of anything more than I already have. I just accept that I can do more and most of the time executives notice, but again this is my choice. The idea that "privelaged" families west of El Camino do nothing and get all the breaks is ridiculous.

I think MariaH was expressing frustration that she feels she can't participate in the PACT program because she doesn't have the required participation hours to give. However, I've heard that many parents don't or can give their time on the weekends, so, MariaH, don't give up hope. Apply for PACT if that's where you'd like to be and you'll be able to find ways to give time (or not; apparently some never do and it's ok).

We can be better than be divisive right now.

I understand your desire for everyone to essentially quit discussing and be happy that we're moving forward. HOWEVER, if you are a Stevenson parent, you don't really have a dog in this race. If one purchased a home in the Huff or Bubb area that about to be reassigned to a school that rates a 10, they're allowed to freak out a little. It's okay for people to have these natural feelings of panic/fear/anxiety.
I don't have a dog in this race either but you won't catch me telling people what they can or can't feel. Feelings are part of the human experience. And when it comes to our children, our feelings are pretty darn strong.

Sorry, meant to say: if you bought a house in a school area rated a 10 and you're about to be reassigned to a school that's rated a 4, you're allowed to feel upset/angry/scared/etc. Feelings are part of the human experience and 10 down to a 4 is a big jump.

If PACT was on the chopping block we'd be hearing from you. Please don't tell people how to feel. Feelings are natural. Thank you :).

The lucky few Hispanic kids (as per MariaH) who go to Hufff and Bibb which don't have many Hispanic kids.
Oh, the irony!
If every parent gave an hour a month to their respective school and made sure their kids read and did HW- all schools would be good.

I still believe that there is absolutely no reason that there be any difference (in performance) in any of our schools. I believe that all our schools benefit from the rich experience and dedication of parents. As more parents choose to send their kids to other schools in our district, there will be no difference between any of them. All of our schools have fantastic administrators, they all have fantastic teachers, they all have fantastic facilities that are about to get better, they all have a strong district willing to provide the necessary resources to create the best learning environments possible. I recognize that change will be difficult for some. But it will be a welcomed challenge for others. I have high hopes.

The population in Mountain View has grown substantially in the last 10 years, but the growth of our elementary public schools has not. Mountain View continues to grow, you just have to look at the new housing on El Camino, the houses near Whisman, the new homes on Evelyn, and yet the prediction is still that we do not need to grow our public schools. The Dual Immersion program at Mistral and the Parent participation program Stevenson were choices offered by the school district that have kept children in our public schools. They have strived to offer a choice to the parents in Mountain View that might otherwise choose a private school. If you live in a neighborhood where you believe that school is "lacking" or is "not good enough" you are not going to choose it. If you came from a culture where volunteering at a school isn't the done thing - you do not expect to give your time (other countries do not allow volunteers in the classroom). If both parents are working full time, when do they have time? Private schools are not perfect either but the belief is that they do offer something that public schools are not. The reputation a school has matters. Small changes are not going to be enough. Changing the boundaries is only one step in the process of making all the schools great. This does not mean the schools should all be the same! Lets celebrate the differences we have as people and create schools that are also different.

@difficult

You can totally believe that there are many changes, large and small coming to the district over the next few years. The biggest indication of this is that we now have a plan that's current, takes into account the needs, wants and desires of the stakeholders, and has a team of focused educators and administrators running the plays. It'll take some time for folks to come to understand the gems we have in our private school. But if people want to spend $20,000 or more for private school just because they can, no one's and nothing is going to change their minds, not even a great neighborhood school. But the rest of us are paying attention and we'll get the hint.

The district's neighborhood schools may be improving but the district is still not listening to the many, many parents who are looking for a different approach to education than business as usual, factor model schools.

The waitlist at PACT and to a lesser extent Mistral illustrate this. I've had my 3 kids in the "normal" schools for a time and they may be fine within their narrow channels but that's not the way many parents here think. We want our kids learning STEAM, learning through authentic project based learning, working at their own ability levels, having lots of access to arts and music, learning languages. Those things are still not happening in a deep or meaningful way at most schools in MV. If the district wants to keep more families out of private and charter schools they should pay attention and start to innovate.

Difficult and @Difficult et all make great points.

@Cfrink - I really admire your positive attitude, but I think sometimes you miss the reality for many people. I believe at some point on some other post you mentioned your family moved to Mountain View fairly recently. For those of us who have been here a long time, this school district has struggled in bits and spurts for many, many years. Things would appear to turn around, we'd all get hopefully, then everything would come crashing down. I feel like your comments are missing some of that historical perspective. This is not the first time (or even the second time) this district has had "a solid plan" to make things better, and yet, very little change actually happens. I, like you, am always hopefully this will be the time, but it might help you to understand where much of the community is coming from.

While there are certainly people in Mountain View with money to throw around on luxury times like travel and cars, there are also many families barely making it despite high salaries. But we feel education is critical to our children's future (even more important than the house or neighborhood they live in) so without great public school options, we pay dearly for private schools because we believe that is the only real option we have. For many of my friends, my family included, our single largest household expense is private school tuition, not housing, not health care. I understand this is a privileged position, but on the other hand, I consider a solid education also critical for our kids, and not at all comparable to spending on fancy cars, vacations or even fancy houses. We forgo many other things so our kids can attend a decent school. It's not that we are not paying attention, it might be that we are paying more attention and have more of a historical perspective than others.

While at this point any wonderful changes that finally happen at the district will have come too late to help my children, I'm certainly hopeful that they come in time to help other children. No one should have to spend the amount of money that we spend and make the sacrifices we make just to give their kids a good education. But please understand why people who have been in MV longer, may not be eager to trust all these changes will actually produce results this time. Thank you again for all the work you do to support the MV schools.

@Old MV resident. I don't know if 29 years qualifies as an old resident. Of if 3 kids and 18 years counts as a parent with experience in MVWSD K-8 schools. But my perspective is different than yours. Both as a retiring Board member, a past substitute teacher here (5 yr) and as a public school parent here. I think parents of students like Ellen Wheeler's Nathan (friend/contemporary of my son Eli) will say that MVWSD prepared them well for high school/college. Nathan went to UC Berkeley and my Eli went to a small private school in the Midwest (National Merit academic scholarship). Both were in the 'top 10% of GPA' group. My eldest son Andrew, was in the same sort of high school academic group. Andrew went to Stanford, and graduated with Honors and Academic Distinction (Economics). My third son is doing just as well academically in our competitive high schools as our three older "public schoolboys."

For my own boys, this is without extra school-time private tutoring. Being a two graduate degree / academically focused family has helped.

But more importantly - for families that understand American academics, for families that have "a learning environment" at home, MVWSD students, at high school, can compete with the best in the country. Improving the learning situation, smoothly and efficiently (economically), is part of what the teaching culture is here in MVWSD. The teaching staff is up to it. They want to lead and participate. My worry, is that teacher self-survey after survey, over the last three years, has indicated that this is not possible when 'the District Office tightly controls.' If the new Board takes any interest in fixing this (apparently) continuing problem, I'm sure the teachers will Leave Less, and Help New Learning Styles with even greater vigor. Read the District Quality Report on another statement of this problem.

The reality for Target Student families is a reality that new program-directed money (LCFF Supplemental Grant = TSSP) should be helping to address. The "understand American academics" is parent education that the MVWSD has been working on with great effort over the last 5, 6,7 years and is increasing it's work on.

The exact "neighborhood" school assignment effort is just (IMO) an "overlay problem." It is not core to the Learning Problem that all schools, public - private - neighborhood - choice, face. Cfrink, now three years in our community, has reason to be positive. (IMO)

SN is a retiring MVWSD Trustee, and these are just his own opinions

@ Difficult
@ Old MV Resident

I think STEM and STEAM programs are in our future. Programs like the ones at Stevenson and Mistral are the result of collective organization, conversations and team work from our district. This is one of the things I think that people who aren't personally involved miss out on. All the principals of all our schools meet regularly, they discuss best practices, they discuss processes and strategies that can work at other schools. They discuss the future and the past. While none of this is going to happen tomorrow, these things are being considered and the best ideas are being collected for future implementation. It is a process and I understand your frustration. I've been here 3 years. I came from a school district in which I had to open a lawsuit to get an IEP for my child. My child has thrived and continues to thrive in this school district and I jumped in both feet to facilitate that process at the district level. I've heard of past issues. But I've also been here long enough to know many of the past players and administrators and I contend that some of you folks just don't know how good you have it.

I read somewhere recently that our high schools are 20th and 29th in the nation. A substantial portion of the kids attending our high schools are coming from our public school system so we're doing good work. Can we make it better? Certainly. I just don't think it's the doom and gloom most folks make it out to be. And if you believe it's worth spending $30,000+ per child to attend private schools, that's a choice I respect. But it's a choice. The parents at schools like Huff and Landels and Mistral and even Castro would strongly disagree with the necessity of that decision. Ultimately, private school is a family decision you're going to make no matter how good the public schools. These decisions are often made because of religious beliefs, or family traditions and nothing can change them. But in MV, we have great primary schools and we're adding one more, we have solid leadership, we have the resources necessary to continue innovating and improving and we have fantastic teachers. Not sure what else anyone could want in a school district.

I believe the proposals M and D are bad for those who live around Dale Ave, currently our children can take the pedestrian bridge and walk or bike to Huff. It would be impossible to bike from Dale Ave to Landels since it involves crossing El Camino Real with small children. These two are terrible proposals and should not be considered for the reason stated.

"M" will make traffic on El Camino/85 a nightmare.

The trail that you are referring to goes right to Landels. It's actually safer for kids because they avoid all streets once on the trail.

I live on Dale Ave and Huff is about a mile from my house on the trail and Landels is about 2 miles from my house using the same trail, why would school district send our children to a school that is twice as far from our house. Are they aware how hard it's to cycle with a 5 year old another mile, we are not talking about adults here. This is one of the preposterous things I have heard and would the children from Sylvan neighborbood cycle on El Camino and come down on the trail to go to Huff. Sure that is safe.

Seems it would make sense to have pilot programs at each school or at the less desirable schools and have a certain number of slots open for kids to come from other schools, that increase when students from a more desirable school give up their spot when they choose to go to a different school.

It's very simple, really. Offer a Spanish Emerson program at one school, an arts program at another, a parent participation program at another. Less need for these programs in schools that are already highly desirable. So rank these programs inversely as desired with the desirability of the schools.

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